Cinema Review: Fast & Furious 7 (12A)

Director - James Wan

Starring - Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Kurt Russell

Runtime - 137 minutes


The competition for best action film of 2015 has a strong contender with the release of the seventh film in the Fast & Furious franchise. The trailer promised crazy stunts, massive explosions and outrageous fight scenes. But, does the movie deliver? The answer is a resounding yes, plus a whole lot more.

This instalment had a lot to live up to; the previous film was a huge box office success and contained everything a great action film should have. It was a huge task for director James Wan, a man more associated with the horror genre. But he has embraced action and taken it to a whole new level. He has some very interesting techniques, including camera twists and the use of quiet moments in the middle of onscreen chaos to really ramp up the tension.

The cast with director James Wan

 The story continues on from the stinger found at the end of Fast & Furious 6, with Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) hell bent on revenge for his brother, Owen (Luke Evans). Within minutes of meeting him, we're treated to a glimpse of just how villainous Deckard really is. Statham's character has been built up as a big bad and he certainly lives up to that reputation. His confrontations with Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Dominic (Vin Diesel) are savage (and WWE fans rejoice, we get to see the Rock Bottom on the big screen).
To get at Shaw, Dominic and his 'family' must help the government (in the form of a suave Kurt Russell) and rescue a young hacker who has a powerful spying program known as 'God's Eye'.

The film is as fast paced as it is furious (see what I did there?). The movie travels to London, Tokyo, L.A, Abu Dhabi, Dominican Republic and even the mountains of Azerbaijan. Each new location has a set piece that is as outrageous as the last. The trailer doesn't do justice to the stunts performed in the film.

There is some great casting. Tony Jaa makes his big Hollywood film debut and it's amazing that he hasn't done this sooner. His speed and technique suits the film perfectly, and he makes Paul Walker look even better than usual during their two showdowns.

My only disappointment with Ronda Rousey is that she wasn't in the film enough. She plays the bodyguard of a Saudi prince, so we only get her onscreen for about 15 minutes. However, what a 15 minutes! Her fight with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is more brutal than any of the female fights in Fast and Furious 6. Again, Rousey's skill and aggression makes her opponent look even better. And extra praise goes to both ladies considering the fact that they performed these stunts whilst wearing floor length cocktail dresses.

Jason Statham as the main villain, Deckard Shaw, was a fantastic decision. He has always managed to pull off mean and moody, but he adds real menace to the character. More terminator than man, he is a great adversary for Dominic.

Buried under all the explosions and crashes, there is the ultimate love story between Letty and Dominic. The previous film was about Dominic's search for the love of his life and his determination to bring her home. This time around, with her memories still lost, it is Letty's turn to search for herself. There are some touching moments between these two and one moving speech that will really tug at the heartstrings.

And then there is Paul Walker. His tragic death put the film in jeopardy and left his friends devastated. There were concerns over whether the film could (or even should) be completed and what to do with the character of Brian. Thankfully most of Walker's scenes had already been completed and, with the help of his two brothers and some CGI, the rest was filled in almost seamlessly. The tribute at the end is extremely moving and a fitting way of saying goodbye. Yes, there were tears in my eyes and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Poster showing the original planned release date.

The film is well on its way to having the biggest opening weekend in Universal's history. Some might watch it for the insane stunts and testosterone fuelled fight scenes. Others might go just to witness the final big screen outing of Paul Walker. No matter your reason, I thoroughly recommend Fast & Furious 7 as a high octane, entertaining picture that will leave you breathless, right up until the final emotional scene.